1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a carrier for semiconductor devices and a method of fabricating stacked-type semiconductor devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, portable electronic equipment such as mobile telephones and non-volatile semiconductor memory media such as IC memory cards have been downsized, and there has been increasing demands for reducing the number of parts used in the equipment and media to downsize such equipment and media. Thus, there has been considerable activity in the development of efficiently packaging semiconductor chips, essential elements among the structural components used in the equipment and memory media.
Examples of packages that meet the such demands are a chip scale package (CSP) having a package size substantially equal to that of the semiconductor chip, a multi-chip package (MCP) wherein multiple semiconductor chips are incorporated into a single package, and a package-on-package (POP) in which multiple packages are stacked and combined into a single-piece member.
FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) show a conventional carrier for stacked-type semiconductor devices (hereinafter simply referred to as a carrier). More specifically, FIG. 1(a) is a side view of a carrier 1, and FIG. 1(b) is a top view thereof. The carrier 1 is used in the process of fabricating stacked-type semiconductor devices. The carrier 1 includes accommodating sections 2 for accommodating semiconductor devices 4, and guides 3 for the semiconductor devices 4. The stacked-type semiconductor devices may be fabricated through a reflow process and a cleaning process. In the reflow process, hot wind is applied to the stacked-type semiconductor devices 4, which are thus heated. The cleaning process may use a liquid for cleaning.
However, the conventional fabrication process for stacked-type semiconductor devices uses solder for stacking the semiconductor devices, and hot wind is needed to melt the solder for bonding during the reflow process. It is also necessary to guide the sides of the stacked semiconductor devices so as to prevent the stacked semiconductor devices from deviating laterally. However, guiding all of the sides of the semiconductor devices may prevent the devices and bonding portions thereof from having a sufficient temperature during reflow with hot wind to adequately melt the solder, and a bonding failure may occur. There is another disadvantage in the cleaning process. When cleaning the bonding portions of the stacked semiconductor devices that are put in liquid, the sides of the semiconductor devices that are all guided prevent liquid from flowing efficiently and effectively, thereby degrading the cleaning effects.